MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS
NEWS RELEASE

Veterans
To Receive Medals During First Day Of Outreach Program Stop At Menlo
Park Mall

WHAT/WHO:
Medal ceremony for 70 combat veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam,
Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operations Iraqi and Enduring
Freedom. This begins a three-day visit to the mall of the Veterans Outreach
kiosk. Retired Army Brig. Gen. Frank Carlini, Director of Veteran Health
Services, New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will
present the medals.

WHEN:
Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE:
Menlo Park Mall, Nordstrom's court, Rt. 1, Edison

DETAILS:
The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will staff
the kiosk from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on October 14, 15 and 16

The
‘One Mall a Month' schedule for the Veterans Outreach Program is an effort
by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to talk
one-on-one with veterans or their family members about the wide variety
of state and federal veterans benefits. Ten percent of our nation's veterans
receive compensation from the Veterans Administration (VA) for a service-connected
disability. Here in New Jersey that number is only eight percent. With
500,000 Veterans in the Garden State, that means that there are more than
10,000 veterans who should be receiving compensation, but are not. The
Veterans Outreach Program wants to find these veterans and assist them
in filing their claims if they choose to do so. To find out more about
this program or your veteran benefits call 1-888-8NJ-VETS.

The
N.J. Distinguished Service Medal (NJ DSM) was originally issued in 1858
for those who distinguished themselves in the New Jersey Militia, but
was used infrequently until re-authorized by Governor Kean in 1988. The
N.J. DSM was then authorized for that purpose. It is New Jersey's highest
military award. Since its re-authorization in 1988, more than 30,000 medals
have been awarded to combat veterans from New Jersey.

In
order to be eligible for the Distinguished Service Medal you must meet
all the following criteria:

~
currently be a resident of New Jersey, have been a resident of New Jersey
at the time you entered into military service, have been honorably discharged,
have proof of having served in combat while on active duty during wartime.

The
DSM can be awarded posthumously to the next-of-kin of a veteran who meets
the criteria.

Anyone
interested in applying for the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal
should call 1-888-865-8387,
to request an application.

The
‘One Mall a Month' Veterans Outreach Program information kiosk will be
at the Deptford Mall in the JC Penny
Court on November 5, 6 and 7 with a medal ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Immediately
following medal ceremony

will
be the launch of the
“Life Doesn't Have to Be a Battlefield”

campaign
and training

The
New Jersey Governor's Council on Mental Health Stigma is launching a state-wide
Veterans

anti-stigma
campaign and training for mental health providers. The Council will be
launching this campaign
in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs PTSD Task
Force, and with the participation of the Division of Mental Health Services.
The goal of the campaign
is to reduce mental health stigma through outreach and raising awareness,
and to address
the specific mental health needs of Veterans through the accompanying
training initiative.

WHEN:
Tuesday, Oct. 14; 12 p.m.

WHERE: Menlo Park Veterans Memorial
Home, 132 Evergreen Road, Edison

WHY: To address the issue of mental
health stigma in Veterans and reduce
stigma among veterans by raising awareness about mental health
and offering training to community mental health providers on
the specific mental health needs of Veterans with a focus on PTSD,
TBI, and Benefits.